Car construction



(No Model.)

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No. 468,176. Patented Fb. 2, 1892.

N @uw y WITNESS/Es 19.35..

INVENTO@ 0/ Miimneys.

UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. IICDGES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CAR CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,176, dated February2, 1892.

Application tiled August 28, 1891. Serial No. 403,958. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY C. IIODGES, a citizen of the United States,residing at De troit, county of Vayne, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Car Construction; andI declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

This invention has for its object the construction of cars and similarstructures where great length of frame is required and where the entirestructure must be supported on few points; also, where destructivestrains are brought about not only by a proper motion or draft inhauling, but by concussion of sudden stopping or collision.

The requirements of modern commerce make it necessary to employ cars oflarge carrying capacity, of great strength, and of considerable weight.It is desirable that capacity and strength be increased without acorresponding increase in weight.

The only practical way to increase the ca-` pacity of a railway-car isto build it longer, as both width and height must conform to adoptedstandards. Vhen, however, the car is lengthened, the frame must bestrengthened without a corresponding increase in weight. I attain thisresult by the use of a frame-work constructed in accordance'with thefollowing specifications, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l shows one end of a floor-frame, showing sills and the manner ofconnecting studding to the sills. Fig. 2 shows a corner detail. Fig. 3shows a cross-tie and brace detail. Fig. 4 shows in section thefastening of a stud to the side sill. Fig. 5 shows a connecting-fillet.Fig. 6 shows in detail the fastening of the cross-tie to the middlesills. Fig.

-7 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a car,

the roof, the rootframe, the floor-sills, and fcontinuous draw-bar.

This canti-ame, as shown, is made entirely A of metal, of shapes easilyrolled, and, in fact,

commonly found on sale.

A represents the side sill made of two channel-bars c c', placed withtheir concave faces toward eachother. One or both of these may, ifpreferred, bemade of an I-beam; but for readiness in turning corners, asappears hereinafter, the channel-bars are preferable.

B2 represents a corner and shows the manner of turning an angle with theside sill without breaking o-r cutting the beam. To make this corner, Icut a gore from the fiange or flanges of the channel or angle bars a,bend the bottom of the channel to the required angle, and strengthenwith a fillet b. By using angles formed in this way the entire outsidesill,including cross-sills at the ends and both side sills, may be madecontinuous of the two members d af, or the outer member may be madecontinuous and the inner member placed only along the side sill. Iprefer the latter construction, because I thus employ the cavity in theend or cross-sills within which to secure the ends of intermediatesills.

C Care studs of I or channel iron fastened to the side sills by boltsand a fillet D. The iillet D is made of peculiar form to fill thechannels of both the sill and the stud, and for that purpose is made inthe form of a cross, of which one arm is sunk slightly within the other,as though mortised into it. The upper side of the channel-bara has again cut in it, within which is received the part of the upright lyingbehind the outer face of the horizontal arm d. The lower side of thechannehbar c is not provided with a gain and the end of the uprightrests on the side of the channelbar. (Jn the obverse side of the arm dis a step d2, upon which rests the lower end of the stud C. It will beseen that when the joint is completed, as shown in Fig. i, each part hasa bearing directly against another part, and the bolts holding the partstogether are relieved from all shearing strain.

E E (the sills adjacent to the side sills) are compound channel-barsformed by two angle or Z bars together, the channel or concave sidebeing placed downward. At points where the cross-ties G, hereinafterdescribed, cross them there is bolted to each bar a support or standardE E', serving as a compression mem- IOC ' ing with the tie-plate G andthe sills E E F F `ber to act as a support resting on the crossbrace H.

F F represent the middle sills. These are also composite beams made ofangle-iron, channel-iron,or bars rolledinto Z shape, arranged to formtwo flanged channel-beams, with the flanges of one opposite to theflanges on the assembled compound beam, are rectangular in form, with amiddle flange on either side eX- tending from end to end.

G is a cross-tie plate passing between the members of the upper half ofthe beam E and those on the lower half, the flanges ff coming above thetie-plate and the fiangesf coming below the tie-plate. Y

It is not necessary that all of the sills E E F F be made of metal, asany or all of them or the parts of the compound sills may be constructedof wood.

His a brace-plate bolted to the side sills and passing und er the innersills and formatruss across the car-bottom, serving to cause each one ofthe sills to be sustained by all the others'and to distribute the load.I is a similar brace-plate passing from the side sills over the middlesills.

F F (the two middle sills) have their under halves e e, Fig. l, extendedunder and beyond the end cross-sill J, and between themV is attached adraw-head K. The two middle sills thus form a draw-bar continuous fromend to end of the car, and so connectedto the framework as to form apart of the car itself. The

dead-woods or bumpers may be bolted to the upper sides of the flanges ee, and any blow received against the bumpers will be resisted by thatpart of the frame best calculated to withstand it. The upper halves ofthe sills E E F F are received within the channel of the end cross-sill`and are bolted to it either with or without an included fillet.

Instead of making the corners of' this car rectangular, I make theendbayed, preferably making thecar a long Octagon, havingtwo long sides,two ends, each about four feet long, and four corner-faces, each aboutor a little less than three feet. With this construction the meetingfaces or ends of the cars extend only two feet (more or less) from thecoupling-pin to the part where they begin to widen out, and theliability of accident to the train-men in coupling cars is greatlyreduced and the car is strengthened.- On the corner-face of each car Iplace the rounds of a' ladder L, which the train-man may grasp and bywhich he can sustain himself if threatened from any cause.

cc c are tie-rods passing from the side-sills to the roof-plate andforming with the studs, sills, and roof-plate a number of trussstructures along the side walls of the car, there beingone such trussover each truck.

Hanging tie-rods h h and a truss-rod h support the inner ends of theside trusses just described.

Upon the side walls rests a root` of corrugated iron or other suitablematerial.

In the construction of this car of iron beams in the way described-eachjoint can be easily packed with felt or paper or other non-conductingmaterial, the parts being so firmly held together that Vsuch packingwill not be destroyed by any slight motion of one part upon another. Atthe same time the interposed packing will effectually prevent anycreaking, straining, or rattling noise.V It will be noticed thatthroughout the structure there is kept in view constantly the dispersalor scattering of forces, both of draft and of concussion. The dead-woodbolted to e e serves to receive and transmit to the middle sills, tot-heA cross-sill J, and through that and the bracing angle-sills J J.the force of a push or stroke. It also serves when the car is-pulledfrom the other end (to scatter the forceof draft in the samev way, andthe bracingY or arched form of the ends of the licor-frame by dividingthe force among a. number of resisting members decreasethe liability toinjury from either draft or concussion strain. In passenger-cars ythedoors maybe placed'in the corners and the sidetrussing carriedthroughbelow the windows.

M represents the root` of corrugated metal or any other suitablematerial. The siding is also of corrugated metal or wood or othersuitable material. Vhere wood siding is used, a wooden furring is boltedto the sills and the siding nailed to it.

The car-frame thus constructed of metal is light in proportion to thestrength, and I am able to increase the capacity very much in proportionto the weight of the car, while at the same time the constructioncauses. the strains of draft or concussion to be met by a practicallysolid frame.

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If desired, any or allof the-channels within the beams may be filledwith Wood or any proper tilling material, and, if desired, in place ofthe side channel bar or bars-a a an I-beam having a single vertical webmay be used.

Iv do-not wish toA be understood as limiting vmyself to a structure inwhich the side and `endsills are made in a continuous piece, as

the spirit of my invention equally applies to a structure in which thosesills are made in several parts as well asin a single-piece.

That I claim is- 1. A car-frame or other similar structure composedof-compouud floor-sills tiedltogether by plates passing between themembers of the compound middle sills and fastened to the side sills andtrussed by crosstruss-p'lates fastened to the side sills vand passingunder and supportingl the middle sills, said compound middle sills beingcomposed of upper and lower members formed of angle or channel iron andmade with opposing flanges, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In the frame of'acar or similar struct- Ilo ure, the combination oi acompound beam composed of an upper and a lower member lying parallel toeach other, each member being formed of channel-iron and the two membersbeing placed with the concavities opposed, each member being alsoprovided with lianges and the flanges of the two members being opposed,a cross-tie or girder passing between said flanges and secured thereto,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In the frame of a car or similar structure, the combination of acompound side sill composed of two channel-bars with their concave facesin opposition, a stud placed between said channel-bars, a joint-ironfitting the interior of the channel-bar, and the stud and bolts securingthe parts together, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4f. In a car-frame, the combination of the middle sills composed ofupper and lower members, each of said members being built up ofchannel-iron, as described, the said.

lower members having extended ends e e, and the draw-head K, allarranged and combined to form a continuous draw-bar integral with thefloor-frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A joint-fillet for uniting channel-iron, consisting of a metalliccross of two prisms crossing each other and having at their j unction aunited thickness greater than that of either part, but less than theunited thickness of both parts, whereby provision is made to have eitherpart fit into a gain in the lianges of a channehiron, into the channelof which the other part is placed.

G. A joint-iillet for uniting channehiron, consisting of a metalliccross of two prisms crossing each other, having at their junction aunited thickness greater than that of either part, but less than theunited thickness of both, and one of the members being provided with aledge or step, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In combination with a channel-bar, sill, and a stud also providedwith a channel, the herein-described joint-fillet, the flange of saidsill being provided with a gain to receive the upright member of saidjoint-fillet, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a car structure, the combination of side sills and end sillsmeeting at oblique angles, the said end sills being broken in contour,whereby an angled end to the car-frame is formed and the car-licor isOctagon-shaped, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination of a car and a continuous draw-bar made integral withthe middle sill of said car, the said middle sill and said draw-barbeing formed of compound beams of angle-iron, with the flanges of saidangleiron onthe lower side of said sill opposed to the flanges ofangle-iron on the upper side of said draw-bar, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

lO. In a car structure, a concave-metallic end sill, combined withcompound central sills having an upper part received within theconcavity of the end sill and a lower part "proa jecting underl andbeyond, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Il. In a car structure, a concaved metallic end sill circular or brokenin horizontal contour, adapted to receive within the cavity the endsofthe upper part of the central sills, combined with a compound centralsill having an upper and a lower part, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

l2. In a car structure, a lock-joint between sills and studs formed bythe combination of a channel-bar sill, a cross-shaped fillet, and achanneled stud, one arm of said cross-shaped fillet resting in thechannel of said sill and the cross-arm lying across said sill beingnotched into the,ilanges thereof and resting in the channel of saidstud.

13. A car-frame or other similar structure composed of compoundfloor-sills tied together by plates passing between the members of themiddle sills and fastened tothe side sills trussed by cross truss-platespassing over the middle sills connected to the side sills, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

Il. In a car structure, acompound metallic end sill, combined with thecentral sills having the upper part of said central sills receivedwithin the cavity of the compound end sill and the two continuous lowerparts of the central sills projecting under and beyond, substantially asand for the purpose described.

l5. In a car structure, the combination of a compound metallic end sillmadeintegral with the side sills and provided with a channel, andcentral longitudinal sills engaged within the channel of the end sillsand secured thereto by a fillet or joint iron, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

I6. In a car structure having an Octagonshaped floor, the combination ofcorner-faces furnishing a recess between the meeting ends of contiguouscars, and a ladder-frame located on said corner-face and within saidrecess, substantially 'as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

" HENRY C. HODGES.

Witnesses:

MARION A. REEvE, DELL BRowNE.

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